58 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



so gross a feeder as actually to choke and smother the Poas and 

 finer Fescues, instead of simply nursing and sheltering them 

 from scorching heat and severe frost as does the comparatively 

 slower-growing Perennial Rye Grass. Valuable as Italian is 

 for alternate husbandry in the company of other strong-growing 

 grasses, such as Cocksfoot and Timothy, I have always objected 

 to its use in permanent pastures, even during the years when 

 the contrary custom prevailed. This view is now admitted to 

 be sound, and the circumstances must be altogether excep- 

 tional which warrant the admixture of any proportion of the 

 seed in a prescription for permanent pasture. 



With singular inconsistency, some writers who disapprove 

 of Italian Rye Grass in a mixture of permanent grasses, 

 advocate its employment for renovating an old pasture. A 

 more illogical proposition has never been made. When the 

 brief existence of Italian Rye Grass terminates, the pasture 

 willvbe left in a worse state than before. 



There is a prejudice against this grass because it severely 

 taxes the soil, and it is quite true that Italian Rye Grass will 

 appropriate all the nourishment it can get. But this is an 

 argument in its favour. It means that the plant is a powerful 

 agent in extracting constituents from the soU, which it yields 

 up in valuable food for cattle. Given the desire of obtaining 

 from an acre of liberally fed land the largest possible produce 

 within twelve months, and Italian Rye Grass has no equal for 

 fulfilling the condition. 



Another prejudice is that Italian Rye Grass is a bad pre- 

 paration for wheat. On that point JMr. Dickinson's own words 

 can be quoted : ' Thirty sheep may be kept upon Italian Rye 

 Grass, fed through hurdles, upon as little land as ten can be 

 kept upon the common system upon common grass, and the 

 finest crops of wheat, barley, oats, and beans may be grown 

 after the Italian Rye Grass has been fed off the two years 

 of its existence. Wheat invariably follows the Italian, and 

 splendid crops are grown.' 



